The House in the Forest Pt. 04

The House in the Forest

Part IV - Responsibility

By Sylviafan and LadyKaren50

The House in the Woods is a series of interlinked stories based around Lara, and her adult children Jessica and Marty. It takes place around Lara's childhood home, a house set on the edge of an extensive forest, which seems to exert a sexual or spiritual influence on the local inhabitants.

The series is a trans-Atlantic collaboration between LadyKaren50 and Sylviafan, so readers may spot inconsistencies based on two somewhat different forms of the English language! We both hope that you enjoy the stories and look forward to receiving comments.

All characters depicted in the stories are aged eighteen or over.

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Jessi had taken charge and had begun a comprehensive review of all the dimensions of the small community. By reading through the diaries, she had learned that the idea behind the creation of the community was primarily to establish a place to live communally, free from the selfishness of capitalism and the harsh religious tyranny of puritanism and its successor, fundamentalism. Her great-great grandmother Elvira, it turned out, was one of the last of a group of immigrants who had arrived from Europe with very different and unique ways of living and relating, including more openness regarding sexual relationships. And, importantly, these traditions did not include marriage. People simply partnered with those with whom they bonded. Additionally, the partnering didn't have to be between a man and a woman. It could be between two women, two men or even a small group. The members of the community, partnered or not, would live in proximity and support each other in a variety of ways. They would share their resources, so that no one would ever be in need; they cared for those who were ill and elderly. And they shared childcare - all of them, not just the women. This egalitarian approach had been relatively successful throughout the history of the community, which had begun in Europe in the early modern period and continued through to the present.

But of course, things were different now. The community members were not the only residents of Port Cadmus, and the egalitarian ways of self-governance had to defer to a more democratic system which was now the law of the land in the New World. They were also no longer bound only by the rules of the community, but those rules had to defer at times to the laws of the State.

Jessi was aware that her Grandfather Howard had chosen to simply partition the community as much as possible from the general society. The community under Howard's leadership had in effect become a secret society where the members met in private. As a result, while certain aspects of the community were functional the basic structure was no longer workable. It required a fair amount of insight, creativity and strength to balance all the various conflicting pressures that challenged the community. But on the other hand, over time Port Cadmus had acquired a kind of unique status, aided at least in part by its remoteness and the density of the forest which surrounded it. This had helped maintain the secrecy, but the modern world was beginning to encroach and needed some new ideas to maintain the privacy and uniqueness of the Community.

Jessi wandered back into the library and sat in her grandfather's chair. She couldn't solve the issues all at once. She would have to take one step at a time, and the first step was her installation as the leader and Mater Familias of the Community. From there she would need to initiate deliberation on these and other issues facing their community's existence.

But Jessi continued to be troubled by the visit with Calvin. She had not seen him in several years before he had appeared on her doorstep. The circumstances were always familiar and predictable: Calvin needed money. She remembered him showing up at Lara's house and demanding help when she and Marty had been younger. It was a painful memory for every time that man appeared it had been an ugly scene. And when he was finally induced to depart, he always managed to leave everyone in emotional turmoil. Jessi had resorted to violence and humiliation before sending him away this last time and she had heard nothing since. She didn't believe however that would be the end of trouble with him. Consequently, she felt uneasy.

But she was particularly distressed to learn that her grandfather had regularly paid him off and she wondered how often and with what conditions these payments were made. How much had this man, this rapist, received over time? And why? She had not yet had time to review the financial records from past years, nor had she had time to interview her grandmother and her mother about this situation. "Giving him money is not a way to resolve this," she told herself. She hoped that by humiliating him he would now keep his distance. But she would need to be ready if he were to re-emerge. And he was not only challenge or threat that loomed over the community that she was now poised to lead.

Another profound issue for Jessi was that she was alone in her leadership. Her brother, while loving and committed, especially to her, nevertheless seemed to have inherited his father's lack of organizational skills and reckless attitude towards money. Jessi had already had to put strict controls on his spending. Her closest friends, Danielle, Debbie, Doris and Peter were not much help either. Consequently, she felt alone, and in her loneliness, she felt the weight of responsibility pressing upon her.

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As the summer transitioned into fall, Jessi worked tirelessly to get control of the estate and community. Marty, with Jessi carefully supervising, made good progress on renovating the house and re-doing the landscaping. Jessi had allowed and encouraged her mother, Lara, to move in with Debbie leaving her and Marty in the house. But Marty had begun to spend time with Danielle and Jessi could see that it would not be long before Lara and Debbie would partner as would Marty and Danielle. She did expect that her brother and his partner would remain in the house, but that would be their decision, and she knew that she might find herself literally living alone. She was certain that her mother now partnered would choose not to return to live at the house. Lara had gently suggested that she and Debbie would like to live together in Debbie's ancestral home, in part because Lara wanted to escape the ghosts that resided in the house. Jessi was not about to object. She loved her mother, despite their conflicted relationship and she wanted the best for Lara, and for Marty, and all the members of the community for that matter.

Jessi had undertaken a program of visiting to get to know the other members of the community that lived in Port Cadmus. There were 48 families in the area who were members of the community. Of course, many of these families were large as they represented many generations. And family dynamics being what they are, the situation within these various families were often rather complicated. But Jessi needed to get a handle on the membership and their commitment to the Community. As she commenced her visits, she was pleased to discover that not only were all the families that remained in the area committed, but that even some of those who had moved away wanted to try to establish branches in other locations. It gave her joy to see that her great-grandfather Alex and Adelaide's dream inspiration, the promise of the Community, still held an important place in the lives of the membership.

And then there was the issue of inviting and initiating new members. This was a thorny issue and needed to be brought before the council for debate. Yes, there was a council which consisted of eight members, four men and four women, including not only masters, but also house slaves so that everyone was represented. Jessi would serve as the President of the council. All these issues had been basically ignored by Howard and had simply festered. Jessi was determined to deal with them all eventually and to find a way forward.

It was not surprising then that Jessi began to keep very strange hours. She would work until late into the evening, sleep only a few hours and be up at dawn and work constantly through the day until she simply fell asleep at the desk or in the Master's chair.

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It happened one night, in late September, working in the library in the middle of the night after Jessi had slipped into a deep slumber in the Master's chair, she was suddenly startled awake. The room was completely dark with only moonlight coming through the large picture window. As she sat half awake and half asleep, her attention was drawn to the portrait which hung on the wall directly in front of her. It seemed to be glowing and as she watched the portrait seemed to begin to come alive with motion. All the characters seemed to begin to move. Elvira taking Alex's cock in her mouth and sucking hungrily as Nellie seemed to be pumping the toy in and out of her cunt. But Adelaide's gaze locked in with Jessi's and she began to walk towards Jessi. As she stepped down from the portrait Jessi felt a wave of cold air. And the closer the spectre came the more intense this cold presence. Jessi sat confidently in her chair, waiting and watching as the naked spectre of her great grandmother Adelaide stood directly before her.

As they stood gazing into each other eyes Jessi felt a sense of calm peace began to overtake her until, at last, the spectre spoke:

"Make yourself comfortable Jessica. Relax and do not fear."

"Who are you?" There in front of her stood apparition of with flowing blonde hair, plump breasts and wide hips. Her vulva was swollen and hairy.

"Don't you recognize me from the painting?"

"Nana Adelaide." Jessi spoke with confidence.

"Yes dear, now make yourself presentable."

Jessi knew what was expected. She slipped off her t-shirt and shorts and stood before the apparition naked. Jessi was aware of the contrast, her small breasts, her thin frame, her spindly legs, her shaved pussy with her thin labia, closed tight. Nana Adelaide's hairy cunt was open and hungry. Jessi found herself fascinated by her Nana's cunt while in her mind she could hear a chorus of ghosts sing in harmony:

"Painted emblems of a race, all accurst in days of yore,

each from his accustomed place steps into the world once more."

The music began to fade away slowly as Jessi gazed admiringly at her Nana Adelaide. "You are always welcome in your home to visit and speak to me, Nana."

"You're a pretty little thing, a bit skinny, perhaps. You look a lot like your mother, but you really are not much like her at all, are you?"

"No, I don't think so." Jessi spoke softly, "I'm more like my grandfather, I think."

"Not as much as you might think. Your grandfather Howard, my grandson, was arrogant and cowardly. Had he continued to lead the community it would have slowly disintegrated. Howard had no sense of how to adapt to changing circumstances. And the world is very different today than it was even twenty years ago. But you have proven yourself over and over again, Jessica. The women of the community are so incredibly proud of you."

To hear these words of affirmation almost brought forth tears from the lonely, stressed young woman who had taken on this burden of leadership. "What... which women? Why?"

"All of them dear, from the beginning to the present." She paused and smiled.

Jessi felt a warmth emanate from the painted eyes of the spectre and this warmth began to enshroud her like a cocoon. Slowly she felt her body respond as the warmth began to seep through her slender frame settling in her loins. Soon as if by magic, as they gazed at each other, Jessi felt her nipples and her clitoris begin to tingle and throb, and she began to leak onto the Master's chair. Without even thinking she slipped one hand around one small breast and began to toy with her nipple while her other hand slipped between her legs.

"You have reclaimed your mother. This was something Howard couldn't do and something he arrogantly refused to allow Joyce to do. He was so committed to the idea of passing on the leadership to her that he could not see she was constitutionally unfit for the role. She only went into politics in order to try to prove her worthiness to her father, but she managed to only do the opposite. Failure is almost always assured when we attempt to be who we are not and take on responsibilities for which we have no knowledge, ability or natural inclination. Your mother was born a house slave. She is, in fact, the reincarnation of my mother Nellie with a little of Elvira thrown in. Lara needs to serve, to be naked and to be displayed, to serve in all ways including sexually. But in the right environment, and when she is protected and able to embrace her true nature, she is loving and capable. I think you are aware of that, more so than anyone else... even Lara herself..."

Jessi nodded.

Adelaide raised her hand and an imagine of Lara's face appeared. She was happy; laughing and smiling, her eyes shining with joy. As the image slowly moved outward the first thing that came into view was the collar she wore. She was standing naked in front of a group of women with her hands behind her head and she looked like she was in heaven. As Jessi watched, her Nana Joyce came into the picture. Also naked, Joyce pushed her hand between Lara's legs and two fingers into her cunt. Lara moaned as Doris smacked Lara's ass causing her cheeks to bounce. "Thank you," Lara said softly. Soon several other women joined Joyce and Doris in exploring and punishing Jessi's mother. The hands of the women explored every inch of her body, taking time to pinch her nipples and taking turns pushing their fingers into her cunt and spanking her ass and breasts. But throughout it all Lara looked radiant.

This image slowly melted away and was replaced by a different image. Lara sitting at the bedside of an elderly member whose name was Charlotte. Charlotte, the oldest living member of the community at the age of 98 is not well. Wearing her collar and still naked Lara sits quietly and holds the old woman's hand, offering care, gentle conversation and loving support. She looked equally radiant.

The image slowly disappeared as Adelaide spoke again, "Did you see the joy in her eyes. She is finally able to be who she was born to be and, more importantly, she is safe to be herself."

By now Jessi had slipped her own fingers between her pussy lips and was gently rubbing and fingering herself.

Adelaide watched with a smile. "Also, you have proven yourself in the way you have empowered your brother. He is a strong and compassionate man. He is a lot like his father, more so than like his mother. Calvin has always needed someone to be in charge of him and to give him directions. He is not submissive and neither is Marty, but he is also not dominant. They are both followers. You have provided that for Marty which will keep him from going down the road his father took towards greed and selfishness. The way you handled Calvin was perfect... in fact... look and see what happened only fifteen minutes after he drove away."

She waved her hand again and an image appeared; it was a naked Calvin in his car speeding away. Jessi recognized the location as it was on the road only a short distance away from the house. As she watched, Calvin pulled the car over to the side of the road. Once stopped he moved his hand between his legs and took his now hard cock in his hand and began to pump it while with his other hand he grabbed his balls to squeeze them. Soon he was jerking his cock hard and fast until finally he cried out and a string of white semen shot out of his cock hitting him on the chin and landing on his chest. He continued to jerk off until his cock had begun to wilt and then, much to Jessi's surprise, he wiped the cum from his chin and chest and licked it off his hand before wiping his hand on his face.

As the image disappeared, Adelaide spoke again, "he wants everyone to think he is assertive and dominant, but he is only a little needy boy who has never grown up and never will. He needs direction, but he won't take direction from anyone because he trusts literally no one. He was humiliated by you, a younger woman who made him try to masturbate, but he couldn't do it. This humiliated him, but it also excited him as it met his need to be controlled. The memory of that event will make him hard for a long time to come. This is just the kind of punishment he craved but has never received before. I predict he will probably re-emerge, but he is not a danger to you now. I counsel you to be steadfast in your approach to him."

By now Jessi was fingering herself faster and with more intensity. The presence of the spectre was like an aphrodisiac overwhelming her senses and causing her body to tingle and throb as her pussy dripped. From time to time, she scooped the juice from her pussy, put her fingers to her lips and licked her arousal from her fingers before plunging them back into her hungry vagina.

"My time is short. I have an instruction for you. You are to go into the forest. Deeper than you have gone up until now. Follow the pathway. It will take you into the darkest part of the forest. You must go naked, but you may wear hiking boots and a cloak. After walking some distance, you will find a cottage. Inside you will find a beautiful woman and her son. She is the Forest Minder. She protects and cares for the forest, the animals and the property. She has always been there. She knows everything. She and her son will be your closest allies and counselors. Trust them completely!"

Jessi could feel an orgasm begin to build; she was moaning as she continued to gaze into the eyes of the ghost of her great-grandmother.

"She will provide the pathway for your ascension to community leadership. She is all knowing, she is the priestess of the forest. She will anoint your body, and her son will fill you with his seed. He will fuck you and when you return you will do everything she has instructed. She will perform the ritual of ascension for your investiture."

"And don't forget that to lead means you need to know how to follow. You need to have experienced submission in order to be dominant. Compassion requires that you can experience and feel everything that the community members are experiencing. This is required of an effective leader. The Ascension will ritualize this."

"Jessica, your leadership will be consequential. Do what I command, and you will have my blessing and the blessing of all the community past and present."

As she spoke these words, her image began to disappear in smoke as her voice became more and more distant. Soon as Jessi watched the spectre had disappeared, the light had gone out, and the portrait had returned to its original state.

As Adelaide disappeared, an orgasm coursed through Jessi's body with an intensity that she had never experienced before. Jessi cried out in ecstasy! She screamed as she pushed three fingers into her cunt as far as she could push them. She fell out of the Master's chair and onto the floor finding herself lying face up while continuing to pump her fingers in and out, and in, and out of her vagina as her other hand began to rub over her clitoris fast and hard, even to the point of slapping her clit and pinching it.

Another orgasm! She screamed even more loudly than before.

After rolling around on the floor, she pulled her hands from her cunt and crawled to the table which sat next to the Master's chair. With trembling hands, she pulled the drawer out of the table all the way so that it clattered to the floor dumping its contents. Inside was a large plastic penis. She grabbed it, shoved it into her mouth and fucked her face with it for a moment. After covering it with her saliva she lay back, spread her legs and pushed it slowly into her cunt and began to fuck herself vigorously as she whimpered and cried until finally a last orgasm coursed through her body.

It made her dizzy and shortly she had stopped all motion. With her toy still embedded inside her cunt she lay on the floor, her heart beating wildly, her pussy and nipples throbbing and her pussy dripping. Slowly she withdrew the plastic cock from her cunt, brought it to her lips and began to lick her juices and nurse on the toy penis as she slowly slipped off to a deep sleep.

***

The next thing she knew, Jessi found herself laying in her warm and wonderfully comfortable bed alone. It was dark. She had to pee. She was disoriented. She vaguely remembered the encounter with her Nana Adelaide. But how did she get into her bed? She left her room and slowly walked down the hall to the staircase and headed towards the library.

Just as she neared the entrance to the library, she heard the grandfather clock strike. "Five am!" she thought to herself. She was slowly waking and her mind was beginning to clear. She remembered her encounter with Nana Adelaide and the images of her mother... and Calvin and... the instruction. But she didn't remember what happened afterwards. She was left alone... she fucked herself... she was on the floor looking up at the portrait... and... a blank.

She walked into the library and looked around. There the little table stood with the drawer pulled out and her dildo lying on the floor. She walked over to it and picked it up. She licked it and tasted herself before she put it back into the drawer and replaced the drawer back into the table. "Fresh pussy..." she said to herself.

Jessi didn't know whether she had passed out or just fallen asleep, nor did she have any sense of the time. And she especially had no idea how she got into her bed. She remembered the smell and the feel of being in the presence of the spectre of her great-grandmother. But how did that happen? She had not drunk any alcohol, of course, for Jessi was not a drinker. Years ago she made the decision that she would never drink or take drugs as she wanted to be fully aware of every detail of every experience, sexual and otherwise. So, she must have fallen asleep from exhaustion. Perhaps her encounter with her great-grandmother was a dream.

Leaving the library through the little office she walked into the kitchen where she found the bathroom in the corner next to the secret entrance to her office. She entered, sat and peed. After cleaning herself and flushing she was about to open the door to re-enter the kitchen when she suddenly stopped and looked at herself in the large mirror that hung on the back of the door. "What a mess!" She moved over to the small sink and took a washcloth, wet it and used it to wash her face, her pussy and her body. Next, she combed her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. Then feeling a little more refreshed, she wandered back into the kitchen where she made herself a cup of coffee, after which she donned her hiking boots and wrapped herself in a large black wool cloak before heading out, otherwise naked, into the cool early dawn.

Despite her cloak, she was initially cold and her nipples puckered in the cool air. She considered returning to the house for a coat but instead she just wrapped the cloak tighter around her body and continued walking, setting off on the path that wove itself away from the house and into the forest. She didn't know where it would lead as she had been so busy that she had not had to time explore much of the grounds or the forest. She remembered however that she had been instructed to take this pathway and to keep walking.

So, down the winding path she went. She walked and walked, entering deeper and deeper into the forest. After a while, she stopped to rest, sitting on the ground cross legged on a bed of moss under a tree. And while the sun was beginning to peek out from the clouds, dark rain clouds quickly followed and soon darkened the forest.

Suddenly she heard the patter of rain. It started slow, but soon it became a gentle cool shower. There was no way Jessi could avoid it, so she simply jumped up and began to dance. Right there on the pathway she began to twirl causing her large cloak to balloon out as she began to sing and dance. She was singing Gilbert and Sullivan and Mozart and dancing to "Ruddigore" and "Cosi" and "Magic Flute." As she twirled, she let go of the cloak and let it fly away from her and fall into a heap to the ground leaving Jessi wildly dancing and twirling naked. It did not take long before she was dripping wet from head to toe. She danced and danced, singing and laughing with an abandon she had not experienced for quite a number of years.

Finally, she fell on top of her cloak as she had begun to tire and as she did, she felt a familiar chill, similar to the one she had felt in the library at the appearance of the spectre.

"It was stupid to come out naked. I should have at least worn a jacket," she said to herself. Her cloak was also soaking wet, so it was not much use anymore to keep her warm, so as she got up to continue her hike, she left it lying on the pathway. She was just about to set out, completely naked now, when she realized that the rain had stopped. Jessi stopped and looked up into the sky to see the clouds part and the sun again begin to peek through.

Then Jessi heard a sound. She turned towards it. It was a woman, an older woman about her mother's age. The woman was tall and very regal. She wore a long black robe with a hood and in her arms, she was carrying a second robe. A purple robe.

"Come!" she called...

Jessi walked towards her slowly. Once she came near enough, the woman enveloped her with the warm purple robe.

"Come!" she said as she took off into the brush, leading Jessi away from the path and deeper into the forest to a little cottage. Inside there was a young man who was tending a warm fire. Jessi guessed him to be in his early twenties - close to her own age. Jessi hesitated, as she was by nature cautious and perhaps a bit frightened at first, but the woman beckoned her inside. Jessi pulled the robe tight around her body and entered the cottage.

"Sit!" The woman commanded. Jessi took a place at the large wooden table as the young man quickly brought her food and coffee, which she readily consumed, having not eaten a meal for hours.

"Are you from the House?" the boy asked finally.

"Well," Jessi stammered, "yes, I am. I am now the master of the House."

The two listened carefully and nodded.

The young man grinned. "I have seen you around..."

Jessi smiled as the boy walked over to her. "Are you all warmed up?" he asked gently. Jessi nodded. He smiled at her. He was a beautiful young man, and Jessi was a little smitten with him. He wore tight britches, but no shirt. He had long, blondish brown hair which fell loosely to his shoulders. But it was his sparkly blue eyes which most captivated Jessi.

He motioned her to stand and with a quick movement of his hands he removed the robe from her. Jessi once again stood naked in front of them both. "Very beautiful." he said as he reached and gently cupped her left breast with his hand.

The woman came close to Jessi as well and for the next few minutes they both began to gently caress, fondle and explore Jessi's body, inside and out. They took turns playing with her breasts and nipples as well as caressing and parting her labia and toying with her clitoris and pushing inside of her vagina. Jessi closed her eyes in order to enjoy the sensation. Their hands felt soft and warm and welcome. She sensed that she was being inspected. It was a welcome feeling. Being naked in front of these strangers, along with the touch of their hands and fingers, caused Jessi's body to tingle and her pussy to moisten.

"You get very wet..." the woman said. "I don't so much anymore."

"I can get you wet..." Jessi said softly, prompting the woman to smile. After a moment, she lay back on her couch and spread her legs. She had long ago removed her cloak, leaving her dressed only in a long skirt and a very loose blouse. She pulled the skirt up and then opened her blouse as Jessi crawled between her legs and began to gently kiss her labia, flicking her tongue, licking and kissing all around her vulva as she slowly opened her folds with her fingers. Soon Jessi had the woman wet with a combination of her saliva and the woman's own natural lubricant. As the beautiful statuesque woman relaxed and moistened, Jessi began to flick her tongue over her clitoris, bearing down on her pearl until she slowly sucked her clit into her mouth and began to nurse it as she gently eased a finger into her welcoming vagina. Meanwhile the young man had crawled to the woman, pulled off her loose blouse and had begun to lick and suck her exposed nipples.

Jessi closed her eyes as she savored the taste of the woman's pussy, licking and kissing and exploring her folds with her tongue with gentleness and love. Just then she heard the young man begin to moan. Opening her eyes, she saw that the woman had opened young man's britches, had taken his hard cock in her hand and was masturbating him with her hand. This sight only inspired Jessi to intensify her own ministrations of the woman's cunt as she increased the speed and intensity of her own licking and fingering and rubbing, until the woman was moaning and crying and finally orgasmed with a scream.

After settling down from her orgasm, the woman and Jessi together removed the young man's britches and shared his cock between them. Lovingly and tenderly sucking and licking as they savored the taste of his cock as they exchanged his precum and their saliva with each other.

It did not take long before the young man stiffened, moaned loudly and exploded, covering both of their faces with his cum. They both continued to lick his cock and soon found themselves locked in deep kisses as they shared his sticky cum with each other.

Slowly they finished their oral exploration and after the tongue cleaning of their bodies, the hostess stood and addressed Jessi. "I am Audrey... I managed the forest here for your Grandfather Howard, and this is my son Andrew, who lives with me. I am surprised I have not met you previously, though I have certainly seen you when you visited your grandparents in the past. You might be interested to know that my son Andrew is your half-brother, for I am also a member of the community. And over the many years I have served, I have had the wonderful opportunity to share myself with your Grandparents Howard and Joyce and even your mother Lara on occasion, when she was younger. In fact, I have shared all the members of the community at some time or another, with the exception of your lovely brother."

Jessi had not gotten a good look at the woman until this moment. She was tall, statuesque and slender. She had long jet-black hair with streaks of white, and her hair descended to the middle of her back. Her breasts hung down so that her nipples were pointing at the floor. Her hungry, wet pussy was shaved clean so that her wetness sparkled off her skin in the light. Her clitoris was engorged and thick with arousal so that it peeked out from between her thick pussy lips.

Together they spent a few hours drinking coffee and eating toast and eggs as they continued to touch and finger and kiss and lick and play and talk. Jessi found out that Audrey had inherited the cottage, and her position as Forest Minder from her own mother who had herself inherited the position from her mother, going back to the very beginning of the community. In fact, Audrey's ancestors had traveled with Alexander and Adelaide along with Elvira and Nellie when they had first traveled to the region and subsequently purchased the land and formed the community.

Just like all the women who had preceded her, Audrey managed the forest, cared for the animal and plant life. But not only that, it was also one of her jobs to provide refreshment for any visitor who might happen to turn up.

After a while of sharing stories, Jessi finally looked at Audrey and gently spoke: "I understand you have some instructions for me regarding to ritual for my Ascension."

Audrey smiled and took a deep breath. "Yes, what do you know about your Ascension ceremony?"

Jessi paused, "Nana Adelaide has appeared and spoken to me. She told me you were a priestess and would know what is required, and that you would provide for me everything that I need to know and what I need to do. She also told me..." Jessi closed her eyes as if she was channeling her great-grandmother:

"And don't forget that to lead means you need to know how to follow. You need to have experienced submission in order to be dominant. Compassion requires that you can experience and feel everything that the community members are experiencing. This is required of an effective leader. The Ascension will ritualize this."

Audrey paused and smiled. "Yes, of course. I will tell you everything you need to know..."

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End of Part IV.